Embracing Change

We all sometimes find ourselves in the midst of massive change, at the beginning of new chapters in our lives.  We might be beginning a new career, starting our own business, going back to school or relocating.  Personally, I just moved from my post-divorce “transitional” apartment to my very own dream home – a major transition both in lifestyle and location.

Even when we consciously choose these new life chapters for ourselves, change still sends us careening out of our comfort zone and creates a certain amount of stress.  Our comfort zone isn’t necessarily what’s good for us – it’s just what we’re used to.  Take us outside the bounds of our regular every day activities and locations and there’s a part of us that yearns to “get back to normal.”  That’s why it’s always nice to come home after a vacation.  There’s a part of us that craves the safety and comfort of what we’re used to – our familiar routine and environment.

In the midst of massive change, many of us try to “get back” to business as usual as quickly as possible. We seek out new locations in which to do what we’ve always done.  We re-establish routine.  We eat familiar foods, try to find familiar places and people.  We naturally try to reclaim as much of our comfort zone as we can, even in new circumstances and surroundings.

In reality, of course, there is no “going back.”  Massive external changes are simply an outward expression of major internal shifts within us.  We are no longer the same – we are simply now expressing our inner transformation into our physical world.  And yet the survival instinct within us that resists change tries hard to keep as much status quo intact as possible.

But what if we resisted the urge to “get back to normal?”  What if we consciously acknowledged that we are far, far afield from business as usual – and used this opportunity to create further change?

Maybe these times of major transition are a unique opportunity to review what habits and routines actually serve us, and which need to change along with our new circumstances.  We are already uncomfortable.  Routine and habit, through change, have only a loose grip on us right now.  What if the beginning of a new job is also a great time to start a new exercise program?  What if a relocation is also the best time to start changing dietary habits, or taking our business into a new direction?

Change has the opportunity to beget more change.  If we’re already in the midst of change, we may as well maximize this opportunity to create a life that truly serves who we are today.

Blessings,
Andrea